Choose your Destiny

Against TJ Maxx…

I’m disappointed in you. As one who works in retail I know the “tell tale” signs of a shoplifter, and NONE of them require being black. Lets see: I visited your store professionally dressed as I was getting off work. Strapped across my body was a clutch (remember I work in retail. Large handbags are signs, of which I did not have one). So what was left: the fact I was black. Yes, I know you were following me in the makeup section. If im in the makeup section and you’re a guy, one of us is outta place and it ain’t me. I am extra sensitive to my environment, especially when it comes to men. As every women should be. How do I *really* know I was racially profiled, you might ask??? Well apart from being in the business of retail, as I checked out I mentioned to your cashiers I saw you and to let you know you’re not doing a very good job of being “undercover”. To their surprise, they agreed to tell you–Downside of having teen workers. For me–Upside of being an adult who looks like a teen.

I will be less inclined to shop at your store after tonight’s incident. I’m very disappointed and even a bit sad.

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TJ Maxx must have a policy of following blacks around the store. I noticed the same thing in the Home Goods/TJ Maxx store in Grand Rapids, MI. Two managers in the store made the complete circuit following me around. I started going in random patterns just to make sure I wasn’t imagining things and surely enough they followed. It’s really a shame. I guess it never dawned on them that my salary alone is probably twice theirs even as store managers. When I was in college I worked in a high end retail store, and most of our shoplifters were well dressed white people who never stood out amongst the other high end shoppers. RARELY were any of our shoplifters minorities. We had professional security who knew that the most successful shoplifters were the ones who stood out the least. I shop online most of the time now. Retail shopping has become an unpleasant chore.